A collection of effects for anyone with a warped sense of humor that are not only eye-popping and startlingly visual, but also entertaining with offbeat and humorous presentations.
Poultry-geist
A packet of cards is shown front and back. A ghost is depicted on each card (the front of the ghost is on the front of each card and the back of the ghost is on the other side). A spectator is given one of the ghost cards and instructed to scare the others away by saying "Boo." One by one, the ghosts get scared and vanish from the cards. You state that the ghosts ran away because they are "chicken." You flip the packet over and reveal that every card now has a silly picture of a chicken on it. Bonus effect: Missing Monarchs. This variation utilizes regular cards for a more traditional presentation.
Dizzy Chicks (A Quartet of Quirky Queen Quickies)
The varied presentations and memorable card transformations of these four fast and simple effects give each one its own unique personality. In each case, the card can be signed if you like. The card can also be given away as a souvenir at the conclusion of each effect.
- Out for a Spin
- Shattered Dreams
- Melt Her Heart
- Burst Your Bubble
The Fifth Beatle
Each of the "Fab Four" is pictured on a card. On a fifth card is some unknown guy... "The Fifth Beatle." As you show the cards, the band members keep changing. The cards are shown one last time and they have transformed into beetles (insects). "The Fifth Beatle" is transformed into a Volkswagon Beetle.
Jack B. Quick
"Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick."
This effect was inspired by the nursery rhyme above. The Jack moves so quickly that the spectator can't keep up. Each phase becomes progressively more impossible. Just when it seems as if Jack has vanished completely, he turns up in an impossible location such as a wallet or even the spectator's pocket! The Jack even jumps right into the spectator's own hands! Finally, the Jack is signed. The card is shaken rapidly back and forth causing the Jack to become visibly blurred.
Includes a bonus handling that allows you to perform this effect as a follow-on to "Jack B. Nimble" (published in Volume 1 of "I Hate Card Tricks").
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
This is a "printing" effect with a twist. After successfully printing the faces onto four blank cards, the final attempt goes astray. The printed card turns out to be the wrong one! The performer comes up with a solution, however, by revealing that the other four cards have transformed into different cards entirely. You can either end with standard Queens or custom-printed Queens adorned with jewels.
You Don't Know Jack!
A packet of cards is shown. They are all Jokers except for one, which is a Jack. As you hunt for the Jack, Jokers are discarded one at a time. The Jack is seen, residing among the two remaining Jokers. The Jack then vanishes, revealing three Jokers in your hand. Where did the Jack go? Perhaps it's among the discarded Jokers? You turn over the tabled cards to reveal that, not one, but all of them are now "Jacks."
Bonus effect: Jacks to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right. A packet of cards is shown. They are all Jokers except for one, which is a Jack. One by one, the Jokers transform into Jacks until there are no Jokers left, only Jacks.
A Connecticut Yankee
Four "antique" cards are shown, depicting King Arthur, Lady Guinevere, Sir Lancelot, and Merlin the magician. A fifth card is shown: a modern Joker (man from the future). The Joker's influence on Camelot causes the other cards to become "modernized" one by one. The first three change into a present-day King, Queen, and Jack, respectively. But what became of Merlin? The card now sports your picture!
Drag Queens
This effect is a demonstration of cloning gone awry. A Queen is cloned, but when the King's DNA is accidentally introduced into the mix, the results are shocking!
TBA
Originally, this title was just a place-holder (TBA = "to be announced"). But given my penchant for puns, I decided to stick with the name. Only, in this case, it stands for Totally Blown Away!
The spectator participates in a Three Card Monte-style routine where the stakes are really high! No matter how hard he tries, the spectator can't avoid the bomb. You reveal the reason... all the cards have changed to bombs. Just to make things fair you give him one last chance. Not only does the spectator choose a bomb, it has exploded and made a mess of the other cards!
Girls Gone Wild!
In this "naughty" effect, Jokers represent guys on spring break in search of some ladies. You alternate between showing Jokers and Queens. For the shocking finale, you show (in perhaps the most revealing revelation ever) four Topless Queens! Also includes a 100% clean version ("Totally Wild Jokers") with a Poker theme. Jokers change into five different cards and back. Then they change into a Royal Flush with different color backs!
Updated 2026, PDF 169 pages.
word count: 30100 which is equivalent to 120 standard pages of text
